Sentence Expanding

Definition: Constructing better, more complex sentences by adding either a single word, phrase or clause.

Single Word/Series of Words Example:
Original sentence: She was in the doorway.
Expanded sentence: She was in the doorway, excited and afraid.

Original Sentence: /, the gust of wind threw sand against the side of the car.
Expanded Sentence: Unexpectedly, the gust of wind threw sand against the side of the car.
Original Sentence: /, he wandered about the many tents, only to find that one place was as cold as another.
Expanded Sentence: Shivering and alone, he wandered about the many tents, only to find that one place was as cold as another.


Teaching Strategies:

Mini lesson on sentence expanding using sentences from student’s papers that were exceptional.

Mini lesson on sentence expanding using the current novel that the students are reading for class (done as a class all together) or using their own personal reading (done individually).